A long-acting HIV prevention jab is set to be approved for use in England and Wales, offering a major new alternative to daily pills for people at risk of infection.
The injection, called cabotegravir (CAB-LA), is administered once every two months and provides pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep) protection for HIV-negative individuals. In draft guidance published Friday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended the treatment for adults and young people who cannot take oral Prep.
Already available on the NHS in Scotland, CAB-LA is expected to roll out across England and Wales about three months after final approval later this year.
Health secretary Wes Streeting hailed the decision as “gamechanging,” saying, “For vulnerable people who are unable to take other methods of HIV prevention, this represents hope. England will be the first country to end HIV transmissions by 2030, and this breakthrough treatment is another powerful tool to reach that goal.”
More than 111,000 people accessed Prep through English sexual health clinics in 2024 — a 7% increase from the previous year, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Helen Knight, Nice’s director of medicines evaluation, said HIV “remains a serious public health challenge, but we now have powerful tools to prevent new infections.”
Around 1,000 people in England are expected to benefit from the injection each year, particularly those unable to take daily oral medication due to medical or personal barriers.
